The Speckled Band

Arthur Conan Doyle’s, “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” is a short story about the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Dr. Watson, who unravel the mystery behind the strange death of a woman. Holmes and his companion set out by catching a train from Waterloo to Leatherhead where they hire a trap to embark on the last stretch of their journey. Upon reaching their destiny, Holmes’ companion establishes the contrast between the beauty of spring and the sinister quest that lies ahead. At their arrival, Miss Stoner eagerly welcomes Holmes and his companion to Stoke Moran, house of the insidious Dr. Grimesby Roylott. It is here, Holmes makes clear they need not to waste any time and ponders while pacing the ill trimmed grass,
By doing so, the author compares the beauty of spring and the sinister quest. The heavily timbered park was used to describe the inescapable landscape, where Dr. Roylott’s house stood. The grey roof was a visual that depicts feelings of gloomy sadness. Describing the layout of Stoke Moran as having two curving wings like the claws of a crab compared Dr. Roylott’s personality. The comparison with Dr. Roylott’s personality comes from Miss Stoner’s fear of him. This fear is visually told by describing the color of Miss Stoner’s lips turning white at the sound of hearing Dr. Roylott’s name. Furthermore, Miss Stoner comments Roylott as being
It is examples like these, which Doyle differentiates comparisons and contrasts between objects and subjects within the story. One might argue, the detail of comparison and contrast is not clear-cut but rather a general description of the setting. It is fair to say, the language used clearly articulates meaning to describe certain aspects. These aspects include subjects and objects. The reader does not need a direct link to establish vital comparisons, rather it grasps the readers attention to detail by making the reader compare his or her own characteristics and traits to those he or she, along with society, deems conventional. It is the unwritten conventions society collectively agrees upon. Without such detail in comparisons and contrasts within the setting – the plot, theme, characters, and tone would loosely be tied. The author would fail to make the reader feel the emotion and intensity in which Holmes and his companion embark